The Texas Stars will face the Hershey Bears for the American
Hockey League championship, with the finals beginning June 3 at Hershey.

Texas became the first team since the Chicago Wolves and
Bridgeport Sound Tigers in 2002 to reach the Calder Cup finals in their
first AHL season. The Stars won the Western Conference with a 4-2
come-from-behind victory against the Hamilton Bulldogs on Wednesday
night.

The Stars feature three former Grand Rapids Griffins on their
postseason roster: center Aaron Gagnon, who has six goals and three
assists in 18 postseason games, defenseman Garrett Stafford (three
goals, four assists in 15 games) and forward Landon Wilson (one goal,
six assists in 13 games).

Hershey, which beat the Manchester Monarchs in six games in the
Eastern Conference finals, have four former Griffins: left wing
Alexandre Giroux (12 goals, nine assists in 15 games), and defensemen
Bryan Helmer (three assists in 15 games), Greg Amadio (one assist in 10
games) and Johann Kroll (scoreless in two games).